OVBlogger: Blogging and SEO

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I joined Scribd last week because of watching the Stomper Videos. I thought that would be really, really cool as a professional writer. So, I went in and added a couple of articles for myself.

Then, I decided it would be a cool place to add some articles for Tellman, too. So, I put one up. But I made a horrible, horrible mistake. I should be tied to a stake and whipped. Gasp! I added an author’s resource box.

I’ll admit it was a really dumb mistake. It was already on the article and I think it’s the only one I have in the 280+ I’ve written over the past 20 months that has one. But I was in a hurry and didn’t think about it. My bad. My very, very bad.

It had a link.

The following day, I get this email from Scribd telling me that I was banned and so was my IP address (!!!) because of breaking their TOS, that a whole bunch of uptight Scribd users complained. Oh, bad, bad me. It was my fault. But they said I did it “repeatedly,” which was a bunch of B.S. because I had only submitted ONE article. I wrote to them and explained that it was a stupid newbie mistake and swore an oath that I would never do it again. And of course, I wouldn’t, but they don’t know me and have no reason to trust me, evil person that I am. I mean, I should be drawn and quartered, too.

But then, I got another email, and it basically told me that because all of us slimey SEO types (my words, not theirs, but that was the gist) trying to put stuff into their database they have a ZERO tolerance policy. Apologies aren’t acceptable and basically, I’m screwed.

So, I wrote back and asked what about other people (meaning me personally) using Scribd at the same IP. Should they be penalized for a dumb mistake, too?

I just got another email.

Tough shit is what it said. (Again my words, not theirs, but that was the gist. Oh, it was very polite, don’t you know.) To quote: “We can only ban the IP address that the router shares with the Internet, even when it affects otherwise innocent people.” So, that means that if you work in an office somewhere and some guy on the 4th floor does something that Scribd doesn’t like, WOE BE TO YOU.

That’s pretty anal. Isn’t it?

So, beware. Don’t do one single thing that Scribd doesn’t approve of–like ever–or you’ll find yourself out in the cold. Banned for life.

I don’t think that’s at all fair. But it’s their site and they can run it the way they see fit.

However…

Scribd can kiss my SEO…

heart.

Popularity: 30% [?]